DEATH BECOMES DAMASHI Part 2




"Oh? so you think that if the denizens of Felichi ever forget death, then altogether he will cease to exist and thus you'll have your brother alive again?"  said the fox god, raising his brow, looking curiously at the defiant, now smiling, figure.

"Well, it may be a long shot, but it ain't wrong to act on it since it is in Felichi's heads, not on death himself. " Yes! Damashi was exultant that he got Daichy's interest.  Now pull him in...

"Very well then, varu.  The people of Felichi will forget that death will ever exist, let us see if your brother will not die in this situation," said the fox god, and nine times he waved his colorful nine tails like an ornate fan.

Damashi felt a certain power go in and pull out of his head:  He felt that he's still himself, but he is not the same...

"Wha? Huh? What ya done?"  said the now-confused Damashi, now with a quizzical look at Daichy.  "Oh yeah.  I remember that you have to take out something just to save Bunny."

"And it is done.  So little one, what will be your payment?  One year's service to me ain't bad, since you are a very interesting former-mortal," said Daichy with a smirk.

It was Damashi's turn to give an impish grin:  "Hey hey hey, I didn't wish it.  You did it on your own."

Daichy's face fell at Damashi's words.  A snarl escaped his lips and in an instant snapped at the little creature as if to chomp him into mincemeat, but his muzzle stopped inches from Damashi's face, with the latter feeling the resonance of the fox god's mighty jaws as it clamped shut.  Inspite of all this, Damashi was still, and is smiling even more.

The valley was quiet now, no wind blew nor bird sang within this moment.

"You are truly a cunning lot,  tricking me into bringing this widespread amnesia into fruitition by my own curiousity.  Interesting.  I will not forget this, star-maned dragon varu," Daichy the Rainbow God went back to his splendidly colored bridge, but as he placed his paw on the rainbow he turned to look at Damashi "But I believe that you will seek me out again once you have seen its outcome...now that 10 years have passed."  He snickered before he went through the rainbow and he was gone.

Damashi was rooted on his spot, for a moment not believing his truimph.  He alone tricked the Rainbow God - Ha!  He wanted to leap in exultation but then he checked himself.  Did Daichy really did it?  If he did, would death, that bastard that is causing Bunny a whole lot of trouble, be gone and then he be saved?  He has to know.  He will see if the whole of Felichi have forgotten death - whatever that is, and he haven't had a care if it would be 10 or 20 years for that matter.

It was a long trek home, and he noticed things along the road that were different, but could not pin it down:  He hear trees and dryads complaining of their fruits not dropping to the ground as fruits would normally do, thus they have to tear it off their branches; the fruit that they drop staying the same color as it is and overcrowding their roots; little predators attacking their prey and were baffled as the latter, though greatly wounded, do not succumb and manage to escape and thus leaving the former hungrier than before.  In his travels he hears of aged beings of all kinds wishing for some relief from the burden of old age, wishing that somehow it would end but would not know the means to do it.

He arrived at his house one morning after a month and a year's travel, and he was greatly welcome by his mother and siblings.  He was greatly surprised at the changes but was relieved that he was home, and after he dropped his luggage he asked his mother about Bunny's condition.  His question was followed by an uneasy silence, then his mother led him to Bunny's room.

The little, forlorn figure was reclined in his bed, awake but barely moving.  He was still thin as ever, his voice was barely a whisper.  He could hardly say a greeting to Damashi, let alone wave a hello.  Damashi looked to his mom for an answer.

Lady Stephanie tearfully explained this to her baffled son, pausing between sniffles: "The doctor said that he will stay that way.  He said that once the disease is in him it will not go away, and he will be bedridden for the rest of his life."

This was indeed a shock for Damashi.  He thought that once this was done, this will be all over and his mother will be smiling again.  Although he considered Bunny a pest and he would rather have him gone, he thinks that it won't be much of a bother to him that he will be around, as long as his mom is happy.  But then again, maybe the Rainbow God tricked him in some way,  since he got what he asked without anything in return, thus after a long night of rest and one day of thinking he resolved to see the Rainbow God again.

After a week and two days he has found a rainbow on a hill; what was different in this picture was that Daichy was waiting for him.  He then set his travel bag on the roots of the nearby tree and approached the diety.

"I know why you have come, Damashi, son of Stephanie," the Rainbow God spoke.

"Bunny's ain't improving.  It didn't work."

"That is because without death, the disease won't leave his body, and thus the cycle would go on:  The disease would live off Bunny forever."

"What is this death thingie, anyway?" said Damashi, as he sat down on the grass.

"This is what you have wished away, once-mortal, in order to save your adoptive brother from him.  The problem is you thought that the disease would cease to exist if death is taken out of the picture, but it seems that both our deductions are wrong in that aspect," said the Rainbow God humbly as he looked at Damashi, now with a newfound warmth that the latter did not feel in their first meeting.

Because of the god's new countenance, Damashi's arrogance died down and he said,  "I think that it's best that you bring it back, huh?" and sighed with much resignation.

"People have forgotten him, and their memory cannot be retrieved; thus. there is no way I can bring back Death."

"What?  You mean there's nothing can be done!?" Damashi stood up, unbelieving.

"I didn't say that.  I only said that Death is truly gone, and I can't bring him back, not even if you wish him.  I can't replace death."

"Then I'll be death...so at least that disease would be rid off Bunny's body,"  Damashi said slowly.  He can't believe what a mess he's made, and all the more it gone for the worse.

Daichy raised a brow.  "Really? But it means that the disease will result in killing Bunny in the process.  But there is a way..." his voice lingered on the hill, with the air impregnated with heavy silence.

"Which is...?" Damashi's heart skipped a beat.  He feels that there is no turning back on this one once he hears it.  He took a deep breath and waited for the rainbow god to speak.

"There is always life in exchange for life.  But without death, which is the opposite of life, that won't be possible."

"Can't I wish for death then?" Damashi said slowly, analyzing the whole situation.

"You know, little one, I can't bring death back." said the Rainbow God resignedly.

"Then I'll be death!  And you said that this death is the opposite of life, right? My life in exchange for Bunny's, then.  You said a life for a life, isn't it?"  Damashi exclaimed, then bit his lip.  What is he saying?  He's gonna throw everything for the dingy lab rat?  He was caught by surprise by this outburst and so is the Rainbow God, who is looking at him oddly.  Then a realization hit him:  Even though he was rough on the little runt, he really does care for him, as he would care for anything that his mother, or his other siblings, would value.

There was a pregnant silence that followed.  The Rainbow God tilted his head to the left, curious.  "Are you sure about this, Damashi, son of Stephanie?"

"If I would be this...death, would I be able to join my family again?"

"You will be a different being altogether, and separated from those who are of the living:  You may be able to talk or walk with them but cannot be with them for long.  I am afraid that you won't be staying with your family once you have accepted this responsibility."

"And what of Bunny?"

"Being death, you will be able to destroy the disease in him, but not Bunny's body since you have given your life in exchange for his, thus he will live."

There was a long pause after Daichy's words.  This is for Damashi to have time to ponder over this weighty decision.

At last Daichy spoke.  "Are you willing to take the Scythe of Death, once-mortal, and thus give your life to your brother?"

Damashi took a deep breath.  "Yeah.  Just do it and get it over with."  He said.

"Very well.  It is as you wish it.  I will transform you first into Death.  As you have become Death, 10 years backwards time will go, and thus you will be able to rectify everything, and thus give your life to Bunny."  Daichy said, and his tails waved left and right, colors glittering and shimmering.  Damashi felt power flow within in and felt something cold in the palms that solidified then lengthened:  The Scythe of Death appeared in his hands, giving him authority to cut all life.  A cold wind went through him, and with/without knowing, that the change is halfway - it would be whole once he goes back.

But when he opened his eyes, he was surprised at what he saw on himself.

"Hey! What the? What is this??" lifting the long, overflowing black cloth that is draped all over him, even flowing down past his toes.  "WHY THE HELL AM I WEARING A DRESS?!?"  Damashi screamed at the fox god.

"It is the old garb of the God of Death, DamaShi." Giving him the new title appropriate for his new responsibility.  It is what the people of Felichi remember of the death of old."

"Well, hell! I am the new Death God, remember? And I don't wanna seen OR remembered wearing a DRESS for crying out loud!" Damashi ranted, shaking his fist at the amused diety.

"But it's dark and manly..."

"Oh yeah, it's a dark and manly dress.  Add a string of pearls and some glass pumps and I'm off to the ball," said Damashi in a sing-song tone.  "And...hey.  What are you doing?" A pearl necklace appeared on his neck and his leather boots were replaced with high heels made of glass.  "Hey, cut it out!!!"

Daichy gave a Muttley type snicker.  "Hmmm...never thought you could be good in haute couture."

"F**k you.  Take it out, willya?"  Both the necklace and glass slippers dissappeared together with the black cloack.  He was wearing his traveling gear again, but he was still holding the scythe.

"So what are your plans then, DamaShi?"

"I will just be me, ok?  Also, about this death thing -  from what I remember since you transformed me, death is an all-scary but inevitable thing that people tend to avoid talking about or thinking about it at all cost.  Well, seeing it in a no-death world changed my opinion about it, and I want to change other people's thoughts about it, too." He swung the scythe left and right, gazing at its sharp blade that is shining in the sunlight.  "Well, am I finished here?"

"Yes.  You may go now to your house and exchange your life with Bunny's"  said Daichy with a smile.

"Hey...before I go, can't I say goodbye to my mom or something?  I mean, I won't be able to stay with them, you know."  There was a tone of sorrow in DamaShi's voice, and he averted his eyes of Daichy.

"I guess a little visitation in her dreams won't hurt," said Daichy, as he turned to step on his multicolored path.  "I wish you well, DamaShi, the new God of Death," as he went through the rainbow and disappeared.

DamaShi saw that the sun was already setting.  The rainbow that was once so clear was thinning.  What was that saying, rainbow at night is the sailor's delight or something?  Yeah, that was it, now he remembers, as if getting the former death god's mantle of responsibility (and thankfully, not the dress) gives you all the information regarding the world and it's past and the knowledge of all living.  Wow, what a feeling, he thinks, and finds it weird that he is happy and sad at the same time:  Happy, with this newfound power and knowledge that he got, and sad because he won't be with his family, especially his mother.

The creatures of Felichi have not noticed the changes as of yet, well, except the creatures of the hill where the end of the rainbow have once landed:  They saw a gigantic fox and a star-maned dragon, then the fox and the rainbow disappeared and the star-maned dragon stayed, and, as the dragon lifted his head and his scythe to the skies, he too, disappeared.

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The world of Felichi was reset 10 years back, and this time, it was an hour past midnight.  DamaShi's household was awaken by a Bunny's call for his mother, and all flocked to the little nursery.  They were overjoyed that the latter survived the sickness and is now hungry and asking for food.  But there was a tinge of sorrow for this moment, especially for Stephanie, for she had a dream that her son, DamaShi, had bade them farewell:  He won't be living with them anymore, but he would always be there, forever, even.  He might be changed, but he is still the same ol' hardhead that he was known for.

DamaShi is watching this all near the doorway to Bunny's nursery, his other siblings unaware of his presence.  He is going to miss them all, especially his mother.  He turned to leave when his eye caught his mother staring right at him:  His mother silently calling his name with tears in her eyes, expressing much love and sorrow from her sleep-deprived countenance.

"Damn.  Now I made her cry."  Damashi's eyes averted her gaze for one moment, then faced his mother again to wave goodbye.  Stephanie gave a nod - she let him go.

Damashi's image faded out and he was gone.


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^AFTERWORD^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


This story, or history rather, of how DamaShi came to be was given to me by Gee-eena Korona, or Lady Stephanie as some of you know her.  Yes, dear reader, you are surprised that the God of Death was once a mortal creature like you and me, and knowing that his mom is still living in this world makes you surmise that this world of ours is still a new one.  Believe it or not, it is up to you, dear reader, but if you wish to seek out the truth you can always ask Lady Stephanie, but ask her nicely about it.

There are other popular stories regarding DamaShi, the God of Death, especially the most widely known one wherein he meets up with the Guardian of the Seven Gales, but I will have to document that later.  But for now, since being a baku, I can't resist starting or ending something without a joke (bear with it, please: I can't deny being me):

Question:  Why did the chicken cross the road?
Answer:  To attend the "How to Cross Roads" seminar on the other side.

Hahahahaha!!!

Hope you all fare well in your endeavors,


OOMIZU THE BAKU